Hospitals
respond to changing childhood immunization costsBeginning July 1 the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare will begin
allotting free childhood immunization vaccines only for children on Medicaid,
uninsured children, children who are Alaska Native or Native American,
or those whose insurances do not cover immunizations. According to
a notice from the Idaho Immunization program, since 1994 IDHW has provided
vaccines for all children aged 0-18 regardless of insurance status.
However, during the budget process this year $2.8 million for state vaccine
purchases was eliminated for fiscal year 2010. In the past clinics
and health care providers would request the vaccines from the state and
receive the needed amount to administer at no cost regardless of the insurance
status of the child.
The seven clinics administered by St. Mary’s and Clearwater Valley
Hospitals will continue to use state allotted vaccines for the children
who qualify and will purchase additional vaccines to administer to children
who are covered by insurance. CVHC/SMHC will bill private insurances
for the vaccine cost.
“When a parent calls to schedule an appointment for a well child exam
or wants to come in for childhood vaccinations we will be asking them if
they are insured and, if so, to contact their insurance companies to inquire
about their coverage of childhood immunizations. If a company
does not cover immunizations, the state considers the child underinsured
and we can use the state allotted vaccines at no cost to the family,” said
Shari Kuther, RN, SMH Clinics Nursing Coordinator. “When a family
has health insurance coverage we will bill the company. If the family
has met their deductible we’ll be reimbursed, but if the family has not
met their deductible they will be responsible for the payment and that
payment will go towards their deductible.”
“We understand this is a cost savings for the state, but we sincerely
hope it will not impact our immunization rates. It is extremely important
for children to be immunized to prevent the spread of preventable diseases
such as measles, polio, hepatitis and other infectious diseases,” said
Kuther.
According to the IDHW website, childhood immunizations protect from
13 preventable diseases including diptheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio,
measles, mumps, rubella, Hepatitis B, Influenzae type b (Hib), pneumococcal
disease, Hepatitis A, Influenza and Varicella or chicken pox. By
age two, children need to complete a series of seven immunizations which
can be given at five visits to a health care provider.
Dr. Paul Offit, a speaker at an Idaho Shot Smarts workshop, said “Many
of the diseases for which vaccinations are now routinely given during early
childhood are rare in the Unites States because of the immunization programs
developed in the last half century. While the US has seen dramatic
drop-offs in the number of cases, the threat of reintroduction exists more
today than ever due to a highly mobile world population.” Some
diseases can be transported as people travel around the world, leaving
unvaccinated children - in the U.S. and elsewhere - open to infection.
The complete recommended immunization schedule for children is available
by calling the toll free Idaho Careline, 2-1-1 or by visiting the Idaho
Department of Health and Welfare’s website, www.healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.
Additional information on childhood immunizations is available on the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention website, www.cdc.gov